Gay marriage is being put to a vote in Ireland. In an announcement on Tuesday, the Republic’s government says it will have a referendum in mid-2015 on whether to allow same-sex marriage.
The vote will be part of a “constitution day,” in which there may be other major changes to Ireland’s constitution including abolishing blasphemy laws, the Guardian reports.
This year, Ireland’s constitutional convention, which is responsible for analyzing potential changes to the document, recommended the same-sex marriage referendum. Brendan Howlin, the minister for public expenditure and reform, said the majority of the cabinet were in agreement, telling the Guardian, “The Irish people in opinion polls had indicated their support for this issue and should be given the opportunity when practicable to express their views.”
The Catholic church has not yet announced any plans to run a campaign against the vote.